Jaret Reddick (w/ The Dollyrots, Lacey) @ The Arts Club (Liverpool, UK) on September 16, 2018 [Photos & Show Review]

He’s better known as the frontman of Texan pop-punk goofballs Bowling For Soup but, occasionally, Jaret Reddick likes to go it alone and take his solo show out on the road as is the case this time as Jaret brings his Heartache & Hilarity show back to the UK for a run of five shows.

Jaret is joined by two supports tonight. First Nottingham alt-rockers Lacey who take time out of the studio to shake off the studio cobwebs and air a few stripped down versions of their new material. It might be a short set from the band but it’s one that has got us looking forward to the new album. Second up is husband/wife pop punk duo The Dollyrots who lighten the mood with their mix of amusing stories and melodic pop-punk and certainly set the mood for when Jaret takes to the stage.

You can’t help but be happy when you’re in the company of Jaret Reddick. He may have gone through some well-documented tough times recently but, as he walks out onto the stage armed with an acoustic guitar, you just know this is going to be a good night. Going it alone for this run, Reddick plunders the extensive Bowling For Soup back catalogue dishing up the likes of “I’m Gay”, the party song “Drinkin’ Beer on a Sunday” and a heart-wrenching “Turbulence”.

The Jaret Reddick solo show is everything you would expect from Jaret. It’s funny, it’s childish, it’s heartwarming, it’s also emotional, heartbreaking and tragic. For the time Jaret is on stage, he will have your undivided attention as he takes you on a rollercoaster of a journey through his life and experiences. Given that Jaret has gone completely solo for this run and doesn’t have the added bonus of his BFS bandmates to shoulder the attention, Heartache and Hilarity is about as stripped-back and honest as a show could get from a man who has had more than his fair share of both throughout the past few years of his life.

Check out this video clip of Jaret performing Turbulence in Liverpool: